Publication Date
2014
Document Type
Masters Thesis
Department
School for Social Work
Keywords
Asperger's syndrome in children-Treatment, Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for children, Cognitive therapy for children, Psychic trauma in children-Treatment, Qualitative, Autism spectrum disorders, ASD, Autism, Asperger's syndrome, Try, EMDR, Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, Trauma focused-cognitive behavioral therapy, TF-CBT, Treatment, Autism spectrum disorders in children-Treatment, Autism spectrum disorders-Treatment, Asperger's syndrome-Treatment, Psychic trauma-Treatment, Cognitive therapy
Abstract
This exploratory study was undertaken to explore the issue of the treatment of trauma in children and adolescents with an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. Specifically this study sought to explore two specific questions: are there any specific modalities of treatment that are best suited for treating trauma in children and adolescents with a diagnosis on the Autism Spectrum, and are there any patterns in the kinds of adaptations to treatment that need to be made to make treatment effective across different kinds of therapeutic interventions? Using semi-structured interviews with seven licensed clinicians who have treated trauma in children and adolescents with a diagnosis on the Autism Spectrum, the study found no clear results in terms of identifying a better-identified modality of treatment. However, several patterns did emerge in the kinds of adaptations to treatment that needed to be made across various modalities of treatment for the interventions to yield positive results. The study concluded that increases in clinicians attention to meeting the specific needs of the individual client with respect to his or her cognitive and developmental levels as well as social and interpersonal functioning was of the utmost importance if there was to be success in treatment. Similarly this work was to be supplemented with increased support and work with the parents and or care givers of each individual client.
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Katz, Benjamin A., "The adaptation of trauma therapies for use with children and adolescents diagnosed on the autism spectrum : a qualitative study" (2014). Masters Thesis, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/790
Comments
77 pages. Thesis (M.S.W.)-Smith College School for Social Work, 2014. Includes bibliographical references (pages 60-65)